Dr. Daniel Schachter, a Toronto-based dermatologist talks to Margo Varadi about the great vitamin D vs. sunscreen debate.

"Every summer, there's a controversy, whether it's about vitamin D or chemicals in sunscreen causing cancer. The dermatologists really don't want you to have sun. Then there are the vitamin D proponents who think you should be out in the sun.

"Nowadays, they think you need 2,000 milligrams instead of 1,000 milligrams a day. But if you put your two hands together, knuckle to knuckle, that's how much (skin exposed to) sun you need for about 10 minutes twice a week to get your vitamin D supplement.

"Most people don't put sunscreen on all over themselves every single day.They don't put it on their hands or forearms and then they walk to work from the subway or wherever so they're getting a lot of sun inadvertently. They don't need to lie in the sun.

"The sun is worse than it was say 10, 20 years ago. People don't use sunscreens properly. We now see burns even in dark-skinned people. People will assume that they put a sunscreen on and they can go out and spend time in the sun. What you're really supposed to do is put on a sunscreen and avoid the sun.

"We really feel that there is an explosion of skin cancer. We can't keep up. There are people being told that they should just get more and more sun. They're going to age terribly and get skin cancers.You don't want that. I'd rather have you use a vitamin D supplement."